


i'd know you in the dark, from a thousand miles away.

by MelikaElena



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, But more like Madge is being a disaster about this kind of angst, F/M, Like so much angst, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 23:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8179805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelikaElena/pseuds/MelikaElena
Summary: Madge finds out who her Soulmate is; it turns out he's her high school nemesis. She... doesn't react very well to it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> From this prompt: "All of your dreams are your soulmate’s most significant memories from that given day." 
> 
> I may have taken it a few steps too far, and over-complicated things, but here's what I have, just in time for Gadge Day.

**** The thing about Soulmates is that usually they’re never found.

 

It’s the nature of The Process; when both parties reach at least twenty years old, the Dreams start. In the beginning, they're fragments, pieces of the other’s daily life. They’re blurry, disjointed, incomprehensible. But as time goes on, the Dreams become clearer, more complete. Despite that, the Dreamer experiences only one sense of their Soulmate’s life per dream: smell, touch, taste, sight, or hearing; never two or more at once. It can make finding a Soulmate nearly impossible, despite the ways that people have tried to get around it over the years: writing their name and address on a piece of paper and staring it all day; saying it aloud over and over and over; going to defining characteristics of their town or city. 

 

None of it works. It’s as if their brains-- or the Cosmos themselves, some say-- know the tricky methods humans will try in order to find their other half, so they thwart them. Write your name on a piece of paper? The Dreamer will only experience the sensation of the paper itself. Have someone say your name over and over? The Dreamer will only see the person, not hear them. Go to a well-known landmark in your home town so they can place you? The Dreamer will only feel the ground beneath your feet and the wind rifling through your hair. There are businesses dedicated to trying to thwart, to trick The Process, but there are no tricks. These things can’t be rushed. 

 

The Process can be cruel. Dreamers have watched, through memories, their Soulmates falling in love with others, giving up hope of ever meeting them. It isn’t rare for Dreamers go to sleep, expecting to see the memories of their Soulmate, and wake up Dreamless. There are three reasons why this may occur, two of which are that their Soulmate has married another, ending The Process, or has died. The third possibility is what every Dreamer wishes most of all: when they meet their Soulmate, the dreams will end: the last Dream they will see is themselves, reflected back at them through their Soulmate’s eyes. The Process is complete. 

 

Sometimes people are lucky: their Soulmate is their high school sweetheart or someone they bump into at the grocery store or their best friend. But many can never find them. They must be hyper observant while dreaming, to pick up on context clues and hints. The Process is not impossible, despite what some say: it just doesn’t abide by cheaters. 

 

Madge Undersee abides by the system, putting it mildly. If anything, she tries to thwart The Process, because Madge Undersee knows who her Soulmate is, and she wants, at all costs, to make sure he has no clue who she is. 

 

When Madge turned twenty, her stomach clenched in excitement when she went to bed that night. A naturally lonely, pensive child, she felt equal parts trepidation and anticipation. She knew the odds and always tried to keep her expectations low-- there was even a chance that she might not dream at all, if her Soulmate was younger than her and hadn’t reached twenty yet themselves-- but there was something enticing about even the possibility of having a connection with someone, even if it never went anywhere. Somewhere out there a person would know about all the little details of her life, and she would know theirs. There was something comforting about that, even if she never found them, even if they went on to love someone else. 

 

That first night she  _ felt. _ Worn flannel, a frayed leather cover on a steering wheel, condensation sliding down a cold glass. She was hooked, instantly. 

 

The next night she smelled. Rich coffee, fresh bread, savory beef stew, cinnamon and apple pie. Clean laundry, pavement after the rain, car exhaust. The dreams continued throughout her week, one after another, one sense or another, until she reached Friday. The dreams were becoming clearer, longer, and only one sense remained: sight. 

 

When she closed her eyes, she was greeted with the sunrise: it felt like a rebirth. They were running through a campus, a university, and Madge didn’t need audio to know it was quiet. She could almost feel their heartbeat, the puff of breaths they were taking. The Dream skipped to a lecture hall: “Law, Society, and Justice: 201” scribbled in the front of a notebook. And again to a dorm room, small and clean, with no posters and a forest green comforter on the bed. Clothes were being thrown into a duffle and the duffle thrown into a truck, old and familiar. It was the steering wheel, Madge decided, knowing how it felt under her hands. 

 

The Dream skipped again, and Madge saw the truck pull up to a house she knew, but had only been to a few times. With growing horror, she saw a familiar little girl come out of the house and run to the truck, large brown hands picking her up, swing her around. The girl’s smiling lips mouthed a name Madge already knew:  _ Gale _ . 

 

Madge woke up, gasping, her stomach in knots. The Process had been more than cruel to her: it had shown her her Soulmate, someone she had known her entire life… and he hated her.

 

* * *

 

Gale Hawthorne. Even the name in her mouth feels ashy, like burned out embers. They had shared a best friend growing up, Katniss Everdeen, who moved between them like they were a Venn diagram and she was the connection in the middle, the only way their worlds would overlap.

 

What do you do when you’re young and you have privilege that you don’t know about or understand? What do you do when you’re young and you have nothing and you understand nothing about the system other than it’s wrong? You become Madge Undersee and Gale Hawthorne, and when you’re confronted with the other, perhaps you don’t act as how you should. 

 

He lashed out in his cutting, fiery way; she became defensive in her sullen, resentful silences. She would fight ice with his fire, and they both built walls around themselves, never contemplating that they were part of the problem.

 

It wasn’t until she moved away from their small hometown to a larger, cosmopolitan city for college did Madge begin to understand Gale’s anger and the injustices of, amongst other things, class, race, and gender. She felt ashamed and guilty, like she should’ve known better, like she could’ve tried harder to understand and empathize. Perhaps he was in the wrong by taking it out on her, but she was in the wrong by remaining ignorant and defensive. 

 

At eighteen and nineteen, she didn’t think too specifically about Gale himself, but twenty and beyond are unbearable. She hasn’t seen him in ages, although their families are still in that same small town. Without being at the same high school, she and Gale don’t have to interact at all, and Katniss never forces them to hang out together when they come home for visits. 

 

Madge knows how she’s changed, but doesn’t know about him, and is too scared to take the risk. For her to have hope-- the same hope she had before she turned twenty-- that he might be willing to make them work, only to have it dashed, would be too much for her to take, and she’s already so close to breaking at the seams. 

 

She decides, fiercely, that she doesn’t want Gale to ever know that it’s her. She doubts she’ll have confirmation either way-- even if he does find out it’s her, she doesn’t think he’ll ever seek her out-- but she figures it’s not an impossible task to keep him from finding out. The Process isn’t easy for a reason, and she just needs to… help it along. 

 

But just in case, she takes precautions. She doesn’t go on social media for very long, or if she does, she makes sure her name is covered up when she’s looking at her phone. She doesn’t wear her favorite Mockingjay ring anymore, her family heirloom. Madge doesn’t know if Gale would identify it with her, but what if he mentions it to someone like Katniss, who  _ would  _ know? Mirrors are unavoidable, but if she can help it, she doesn’t look directly at herself. She insists that people call her Margaret, instead of Madge, just in case he hears it, and she corrects people on the occasion that they call her, even playfully, “Undersee.” She even doesn’t eat strawberries as much anymore, knowing that he does know she loves them, considering he used to sell them to her by the pound from his family’s garden in the summer. She’s always been quiet by nature, but she barely speaks anymore, and even then, she pitches her voice slightly lower, in the hopes that if Gale ever hears it he’s less likely to recognize it. 

 

Madge has always been good at being invisible, but not only does she have to become invisible to the world, but to herself. 

 

* * *

 

“You’re staying here?” Madge’s roommate, Annie, says with a frown. “For the entire summer?” 

 

Madge nods mutely from her spot on the couch, curled up under a blanket and watching Netflix as Annie goes from room to room, packing for her time at home. 

 

Annie, keys in hand, bites her lip. “I’m worried about you, Mad,” she says, a compromise. Annie knows about Madge’s elaborate plans and thinks they’re ridiculous, refuses to call her Margaret (especially knowing just how much Madge dislikes her full name,) but Annie doesn’t understand; she’s known her Soulmate since she was sixteen. 

 

Madge sighs. 

 

Annie comes back to the couch and sits down, putting a hand on Madge’s. “You need closure,” she says lowly. “If this G--”

 

“Don’t say it,” hisses Madge. 

 

Annie rolls her eyes. “If this  _ guy, _ ” she emphasizes, “doesn’t see how good and kind and brave you are, you should know now, right? You’ve already prepared yourself for the very worst, and if it happens-- oh, well! But maybe it won’t be like that. I won’t promise that he’ll, you know, have pulled a 180 and will apologize for everything and be suddenly in love with you, but maybe he’ll be willing to give it a try. Mad,” Annie bites her lip. “You can’t lose more than you’ve already lost.” 

 

She’s right. Madge  _ knows  _ she’s right. And she’s jittery and tired and so miserable, even if it is her own fault. She doesn’t think Gale could hate herself or her life any more than she already does. But she can’t stop.

 

“I’ll think about it,” she murmurs. “I just--”

 

“You don’t want to be hurt,” Annie says, tucking a strand of Madge’s hair behind her ear. “I know. From what I heard, he was a jerk. But people can change. And I can’t imagine anyone whose Soul so perfectly complements yours to be a jerk.” 

 

“Soulmates don’t always work out,” Madge says, thinking of all of the horror stories out there. “Good people can have bad Soulmates.” 

 

“That’s true,” Annie says, “but I don’t believe that for you.” She stands up, leans down, kisses Madge on the forehead. Always the mother hen, the big sister. “Just think about going home, okay?” 

 

Madge nods, gives her a weak smile, even though she knows she won’t. Going home is too big of a risk. Gale will know it’s her immediately if she does. 

 

It’s been four months since her birthday, and Madge is exhausted. She dissects every little thing she does, determined not to give Gale any insight into her life. He may know her university by now, but luckily it’s a huge place-- he wouldn’t automatically associate it with her, even if he knows she goes here. He might even know her major, but she doubts he and Katniss talk about her. 

 

And then there’s the fact that she still has his Dreams to contend with, too. In the beginning she saw him at parties a lot; she’s even seen him flirting with other girls. Honestly, it was something of a relief-- the sooner Gale was off the market, the sooner the Dreams would end and Madge could go about finding another nice person without a Soulmate to be with. It’s a new hope of hers, and well, if it’s a little stale and bitter, she’s just thankful she has any hope left at all. Even then, the thought soured, made her face pucker. Madge is practical, cool-headed, and logical-- the fact that the last few months were so emotionally charged is overwhelming for her. 

 

However, as the weeks went by, the partying and flirting and dating gradually stopped. Even for Spring Break, all he did was go home, and Madge remembers the Dream where he walked past her house, glancing over at it. She wasn’t home, didn’t dare to go home for her spring break. He would be able to easily recognize her house, even if he’d only been inside once or twice, and just with Katniss. 

 

For the summer, she’s procured an internship on campus and told her parents that was the reason why she couldn’t come home-- even though the internship itself doesn’t start for another month. 

 

On the couch, Madge thinks about what Annie said, and then, perhaps, what she didn’t say. What’s the very worst that could happen? Madge thinks. The feeling alone that accompanies such a question usually scares her off from thinking it through, but now, she thinks, huddled and miserable on the couch, alone in a quiet apartment, that perhaps it’s worth exploring. 

 

The worst that can happen, Madge thinks, is that he finds out who she is, obviously. He finds out where she lives and he comes here, confronts her, telling her everything he would tell her as kids and then some: she’s spoiled, selfish, privileged-- and he never wanted, and never  _ could _ want, someone like her as his Soulmate. 

 

Madge trembles as she thinks about it, but then-- then what happens? He yells at her, and then he leaves. He walks out of her life, for good. The Dreams will stop, because they’ll have met. 

 

_ The Dreams will stop.  _

 

Madge sits upright, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. The Worst will definitely occur once Gale finds out who she is, Madge’s convinced, but then it will be over. The entire thing will be  _ over _ . Madge will be able to move on, and so will he. 

 

Her heartbeat begins to speed up as she considers the possibilities, the new hope welling up within her of a life post-Gale and post-Soulmate. She feels like a new person at the thought, and, stands up off the couch, feeling determined and lighter than she has in weeks. 

 

Madge cleans the dusty apartment top to bottom, which has been sorely neglected since both Annie and Madge had finals. Then she goes and fills her tub with rarely used fragrant oils, determined to treat herself to a long bath. 

 

For the first time in weeks, Madge looks straight in the mirror before she gets in. It’s a bit of a shock-- her skin is sallow, there are bags under her eyes, and she looks too thin. But her eyes are bright, shining with a secret, and Madge smiles, the action sadly foreign. 

 

_ Maybe I’ll go home after all,  _ she thinks, as she flips through a magazine, reclined in the bath.  _ See my parents, get this all over with.  _

 

She pauses over one of the articles, a typical one featuring two found Soulmates. She would normally pass them by, but a line caught her attention--

 

_ “She was nothing like I’d thought she would be,” said Thresh James, 26, looking fondly at his girlfriend, Johanna Mason, 28.  _

 

_ “He means that we hated each other,” Johanna bluntly said. “I thought he was insufferable and he thought I was crass.”  _

 

_ “We couldn’t understand how we were Soulmates,” Thresh said. “We were so different. Too different, we thought.”  _

 

_ “Some days we still think that,” Johanna said jokingly.  _

 

_ Thresh rolled his eyes. “But we’re similar in the way that counts-- we’re both stubborn. And we decided to try and make it work.”  _

 

_ “We’re still really different,” Johanna said. “But we’re similar in the ways that matter.”  _

 

_ “When someone is your Soulmate,” Thresh said, “it doesn’t mean that it’ll be easy. Like any relationship, it takes work. You can’t help who you fall in love with, but you can choose to work at your relationship and to continue to love that person every day.”  _

 

Madge’s fingers clench and crinkle the edges of the paper. If there’s one thing that she’s never envisioned-- that’s even scarier than The Worst Case Scenario-- it’s thinking about The Best Case Scenario. What would happen if Gale was willing to try, and what would happen if their relationship succeeded. 

 

It’s the fantasy that Madge will never let herself have. 

 

* * *

 

The next day after her revelation finds Madge dragging her suitcase from under her bed and packing to go home for the next three and a half weeks. 

 

It  _ will  _ be good to go home again, she decides. Katniss and Peeta and Delly are home, too, and she doubts that Gale will say anything to them about her being his Soulmate, so once their first big, inevitable confrontation happens, they can go back to actively ignoring and avoiding each other as they once did. 

 

Even her Dreams last night hadn’t been disturbing-- she could only smell last night, and the Dream wasn’t out of the ordinary. She has no idea where he is or what he’s doing, and there’s something freeing about it. It’s like the universe is giving her a glimpse into the post-Dream world, and she loves it. 

 

She’s humming to herself, feeling better than she has in ages. She painted her nails last night, had some wine, and today her hair looks good and she even put on make-up (another thing she had been avoiding because that required looking in the mirror.) All things considered, it’s been a good day, the calm before the storm. 

 

The doorbell rings as Madge snaps her suitcase shut. It must be the delivery guy, she thinks. She knew she could’ve stopped on the way home for food, but she was absolutely craving good Indian food, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to have any while she was home due to lack of options. 

 

“Coming!” she calls, grabbing her wallet for the tip. She swings open the door, a smile on her face, and freezes as the man on the other side lifts his head. 

 

Gale Hawthorne.

 

Madge doesn’t shut the door in his face, but it’s definitely a close call, a reflex she has to jerk against. Instead, her fingers clench the door frame as she stammers, feeling the blood draining from her face, “G-gale?” 

 

He swallows, looking handsome and uncomfortable. “Hi, Madge,” he says. “I, uh--”

 

“What are you-- what are you  _ doing  _ here?”

 

Gale looks even  _ more _ awkward, if that’s possible. “You, uh… you don’t know?”

 

“That we’re… Soulmates?” Madge says, trying not to stumble over the loaded word too much. “Yeah, I’ve known. For a while. You?”

 

“Not until this morning,” Gale says, rubbing the back of his neck, an old habit Madge recognizes from childhood. “When you-- you looked in the mirror.” 

 

“Ah.” Madge says.  _ Well, it was good to know those precautions worked _ . “Makes sense.” She sighs. “Why are you here, Gale?”

 

“Well, Katniss said you weren’t coming home for the summer and--” he stops. “Wait. You’ve known it was me for a while, but… why haven’t  _ you _ said anything?” 

 

Madge blinks, not sure how to respond to that. “I… you would’ve  _ wanted _ me to?” 

 

Gale frowns. God, they’re a mess. “Of course I would’ve. Why wouldn’t I?”

 

Madge gaps at him. “Because you  _ hate _ me?” 

 

“What?” Now it’s Gale’s turn to ogle at her, “I don’t--”

 

Madge scoffs. “You’re kidding me, right? You can’t  _ stand _ me. You were very clear on that point, repeatedly, over the course of  _ years _ . Sorry if I didn’t want to risk showing up as your Soulmate and you slamming the door in my face.” 

 

Gale scowls, and Madge doesn’t even care that he’s obviously offended. “I wouldn’t have done that,” he insisted. “Look. I found out it was you and I came  _ here _ , didn’t I? I’m not-- I’m not who you think I am.” 

 

Madge shakes her head. The thing is, she’s always known who Gale Hawthorne is-- loyal, stubborn, hotheaded, generous, narrow-minded… she’s known his strengths and his flaws for years. She’s never hated him; she’s just hated the way he’s treated her. She knows he’s a good person; she’s just not convinced he’ll be a good person to her. “Why  _ did  _ you come here, Gale?” She says flatly. 

 

“I--” he runs his hands through his hair. “I wanted to see you. I wanted… I don’t know.” He looks away, sighs. “I thought, maybe… I thought you’d be happy.” 

 

Her conscience does prick at his tone, sad and defeated, but she can’t forget her anguish over the past few months, the idea that everything she did was for nothing. But she’s not convinced of his sincerity, either. “You thought I’d be happy?” She repeats incredulously. “ _ Happy  _ that the guy who absolutely abhorred me when we were kids is my Soulmate? Who is only tolerating me because I’m his Soulmate? You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

 

Gale’s jaw clenches. “That’s it, then? You don’t think that maybe I’ve changed since high school?” 

 

Madge lifts a shoulder. She’s sure he has; lord knows  _ she  _ has, after all. “I’m sure you have,” she says, trying not to sound condescending about it but figures it’s a lost cause.  _ Whatever _ . “But how am I supposed to believe that you-- look.” She looks back into her apartment, nods at the suitcase there. “I’m on my way home. What if we weren’t Soulmates and you saw me… I don’t know. At the bakery, or on the street, or at Katniss’s house. Do you honestly think you’d treat me any better than you did when we were kids?” 

 

Gale is quiet. “Yes,” he says firmly. “I like to think I would.” He looks at the suitcase again and frowns, wheels turning. “Wait,” he says. “If you… if you weren’t ever going to mention that we were Soulmates, why are you going home? I would’ve just been able to figure it out then.” 

 

Madge straightens. Might as well continue to be honest. “That was intentional,” she says. “I was going home to see you.” 

 

“Really?” Gale says, looking wary. Good. He should be. 

 

“Yes,” Madge says, biting her lip. “Look. I’ve known-- I’ve known about us since the week after I turned twenty, four months ago. And I was convinced you wouldn’t want anything to do with me, so I tried to-- there’s a reason why you only saw my reflection for the first time a couple days ago.” 

 

Gale’s eyes are running over her features now, reconciling the Dream he saw and her now. “You looked so sad,” he murmurs in realization, almost tenderly. Madge can feel her heart clench. “So… unhappy.” 

 

“I have been,” she admits, forcing the words out. “I-- trying to hide myself from you, and then I realized: What was the worst case scenario?” She laughed, almost hysterical. “ _ This _ ? I figured it was better for us both to face it, so then we could… you know.” 

 

Gale frowns. “What?” 

 

“Move on.” 

 

Gale reels back, looking stung. “You…” 

 

“I want the Dreams to stop,” Madge says firmly. “I’m so t _ ired, _ Gale, and you’ll…. You’ll move on to someone else, someone you like better--”

 

“No.” 

 

Madge stops. “What?” 

 

“I’m not,” he shakes his head, and Madge can see him swallow, every line and muscle in his face tense and sad. “I’m not moving on. You-- you can, of course, but. You’re it for me. You’re the only one I want.” 

 

So he’s one of  _ those _ people: Soulmates or nothing at all. Madge can’t say she’s surprised. “Gale--” and she tries not to feel guilty, because she should do what she wants to do. But he… “You’re such a loving person,” she says, and he looks at her in surprise, that she’s actually saying something positive about him. “That’s always been obvious. I’ve always known that. You have so much love to give. Don’t give up. That person’s just not me.” 

 

Gale shakes his head. “How do you know that’s not true?” He says. “Madge, I-- I’ve had  _ months  _ to get to know you without knowing who you were. And I  _ liked  _ what I saw. Who I saw. I saw someone who works hard and who wants to change things for the better and who-- who does charity work every Sunday morning and watches weird Netflix movies with her roommate and drinks tea instead of coffee. I saw someone who is so kind and good; I saw someone who sticks up for herself and for the people she loves. I saw… I saw someone _ I _ could love. And when I found out it was you, that didn’t bother me. I was so happy that it was you, someone I already knew.” He runs his hands through his hair again, looking miserable. “I had considered this… I knew we had our differences when we were kids; I knew I wasn’t fair to you. I guess I was… I was arrogant, in thinking you would be glad it was me, too. That everything was behind us. But it’s not, is it? And it never will be. I wish you would… I want to make it up to you. But I understand why you don’t want that.”  He catches her eyes, and they stay on her. He looks so defeated that a sob catches in her throat.  _ This is it, _ she realizes.  _ This is  _ his  _ worst scenario. _ “For what it’s worth, I’m so sorry, Madge. I’m so sorry I never took the time to get to know you when we were kids. I’m sorry I blamed things that were out of your control on you.” 

 

“It was my fault, too,” Madge whispers. “I-- I could’ve tried to understand you more, instead of getting defensive. I’m sorry.” 

 

Gale shakes his head. “You weren’t-- you weren’t like the other rich kids in school, I just lumped you in with them. If you had been, Katniss never would’ve been friends with you. I was cruel and jealous and angry, and I’m sorry. I…” he takes a step back and Madge has to restrain her body from acting independently from her mind-- she wants him to come back to her. “I won’t bother you again.” His lips quirk in a sad attempt at a smile. “Bye, Madge.” 

 

He turns and leaves before Madge can say anything else. 

 

She stays in the doorway long after he’s gone. 

 

* * *

 

_ Everything was so clear, clearer than it had ever been. She could feel the flannel sheets beneath Gale’s hands, could see the wall’s of his childhood room, could hear the gasps he made as he sat up abruptly.  _

 

_ The Dreams had never been like this before, all senses at once. _

 

_ He got up-- he was stumbling now, making his way to the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face, and then looked in the mirror. To Madge’s disgust, he was as handsome as ever, day-old stubble only making his sharp features better.  _

 

_ He looked in the mirror for a long time, not examining himself, per se, but as if he was seeing someone else’s reflection instead.  _

 

_ Then, suddenly, Gale grinned at the mirror, pure happiness, and Madge felt her stomach tighten and her heart jump. He  _ was  _ handsome. She had never forgotten it, really, but she hadn’t remembered it in those tense minutes outside her apartment. Now she did.  _

 

_ It was early, Madge saw as he glanced at the clock. Only seven, although she supposed that was sleeping in for Gale, who rose really early to go running.  _

 

_ He got dressed in running gear and then headed over to Katniss’s house. Madge remembered that they liked to run together in the mornings, had always done it before school.  _

 

_ Katniss came out, and they wordlessly started. It wasn’t until they had finished that Katniss looked over at her best friend, head tilted, and said, “What’s with you?”  _

 

_ Gale startled. “What?” They were sitting on the front steps of Katniss’s porch, drinking water. “What do you mean?”  _

 

_ Katniss eyed him suspiciously. “You’re jumpy today,” she said in that blunt way of hers. “You kept-- when we were running it was like you kept wanting to speed up. Run away.”  _

 

_ Gale shrugged. “Maybe,” he said. Then, after a pause. “I know who my Soulmate is.”  _

 

_ “Yeah?”  _

 

_ “It’s Madge Undersee.”  _

 

_ Katniss choked on her water. “What?” She croaked.  _

 

_ “Madge Undersee,” Gale said, a little impatiently.   _

 

_ “You know for sure?”  _

 

_ “Yeah, I saw her in the mirror. It was her, clear as day.”  _

 

_ “And…” Katniss looked at him. “How do you feel about that?”  _

 

_ “What,” Gale frowned. “I feel--” He paused. “I don’t know,” he said, more quietly. “I think I’m happy about it. Really happy.”  _

 

_ Katniss side-eyed him. “Really?” She asked.  _

 

_ “Why is that so hard to believe?”  _

 

_ “I don’t know, Gale,” Katniss said sarcastically, “maybe because you took every opportunity when we were growing up to antagonize her?”  _

 

_ Gale winced. “That was-- you  _ know  _ I feel badly about that. I was horrible to her growing up, but I never disliked her, not really. I was just--” _

 

_ “A complete asshole,” Katniss said flatly. “Gale, this is… maybe you think this would be a good thing, but do you think Madge would?”  _

 

_ “I don’t know,” Gale said thoughtfully, looking down at his hands. “You think she hates me?”  _

 

_ “Madge doesn’t hate anyone,” Katniss said dismissively. “She’s like Prim in that way. But I don’t think this will be as easy as you want it to be.”  _

 

_ “Why not?” Gale demanded. “Weren’t you happy when you found out it was Peeta? Someone you already knew?”  _

 

_ “Peeta,” Katniss said pointedly, “always treated me well. Of course I was happy. But Madge can’t say the same about you.”  _

 

_ Gale sighed. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. He put his head in his hands. “She  _ does _ hate me, doesn’t she?”  _

 

_ “I already told you she doesn’t,” Katniss said irritably. “God, Gale, if you’re so worked up over it, why don’t you just ask her?”  _

 

_ Gale lifted his head. “That’s it,” he said. “I’ll go ask her!”  _

 

_ “It sounds like you two do need to talk,” Katniss said, shifting uncomfortably. Confrontation was never her thing. “I have her number if you--” _

 

_ Gale shook his head. “Nah, I hate the phone,” he said. “I’ll just go see her.”  _

 

_ Katniss stared at him. “She lives three hours away!” _

 

_ Gale blinked. “She does? She’s not coming home for the summer?”  _

 

_ “Not the last I heard,” Katniss said. “I think she got an internship for the summer, on campus.”  _

 

_ “Ah,” Gale said. Then he stood. “Oh, well. The kids were driving me crazy, anyway.”  _

 

_ Katniss looked up at him. “You can’t be serious,” she said, “just showing up there?”  _

 

_ Gale shook his head. “This is the only way I’m going to do it,” he said, stubborn as ever. “It has to be in person.”  _

 

_ “At least let her know you’re coming!”  _

 

_ Gale was already walking away, and even if Madge couldn’t see him, she could feel the mischievous grin stretching across his face. “Where’s the fun in that?” He called before jogging home.  _

 

_ The scenes blurred together as he showered and got ready; the next clear picture was him in that familiar truck, one hand white-knuckling the steering wheel and the other fiddling with the radio.  _

 

_ He was nervous, Madge realized. To Katniss he was confident, but he was nervous about her. It almost made her feel badly about how things had gone. _

 

_ Madge couldn’t tell if it was Gale’s heartbeat or her own that was beating so hard in anticipation as he approached her apartment building, as he climbed the stairs, as he knocked on her door. _

 

_ The last thing she saw before she woke up was her own horrified face staring back at her.  _

 

* * *

 

“I don’t know what to do.” 

 

On the other end of the line, Annie sighs. Madge winces, unable to tell if she’s trying to convey exasperation or sympathy. “Oh, Mad.” 

 

A little bit of both, then. Madge fights the urge to lay her head down on the steering wheel, but seeing as she’s on the freeway headed home, resists. “I’m so confused, Annie,” she says into her earpiece instead. She called Annie as she headed home and told her about Gale’s visit, talking through all of her feelings, her hopes, her fears, her confusion. 

 

“Madge,” Annie says gently. “While I appreciate you telling me everything, and as your friend I always want to hear it… don’t you think you should, perhaps, tell someone else all of this as well?” 

 

Now Madge sighs. “I know,” she says. “I’m… I’m going to go see him.” 

 

“Is this what you want?” Annie asks. 

 

“What?” 

 

“Talking to Gale. Hearing him out. Is that what you want? Because just yesterday, you wanted to see him only to make sure that nothing was going to happen so you both could move on. I just want you to be sure.” 

 

Madge is quiet for a moment. “I think I’ve been hasty,” she says, finally. “I was so worried that he would just think of me as the same girl he knew that I didn’t realize that I was assuming he was the same boy. I think I owe it to him-- to myself, to us-- to give it a shot, you know? Not everyone gets to know who their Soulmate is.” The one thing she didn’t tell Annie was the nature of her last Dream-- she’d never heard of them being like that before, with all of the senses; she’s afraid of what it might mean. 

 

“I think…” Annie begins, and Madge holds her breath. She’s going to go see Gale no matter what Annie says, but Madge  _ does  _ value her opinion. “I think you’re absolutely right.” 

 

Madge smiles. “Yeah?” 

 

“To be honest, it’s the first sensible thing you’ve done since you turned twenty,” Annie teases. “But I’m proud of you, Mad, really. I just want you to be happy, you know?” 

 

“Yeah,” Madge says right before they hang up, just as she’s getting off at her exit. “I know. Thanks, Annie.” 

 

Her heart is beating quickly, adrenaline sliding through her veins as she makes her way through their town. She knows, logically, that she should go home first-- see her parents, calm herself down-- but she can’t. A thought darts through her mind before she squashes it, not wanting to think too far ahead: 

 

_ I  _ am _ going home.  _

 

It’s a miracle she can find Gale’s house, considering how distracted she is, but after seeing him drive there a few times in her Dreams, it’s almost muscle memory to go there, and she parks behind his truck. Good, he’s home. 

 

She gets out of the car, wiping her hands on her pants. Maybe she shouldn’t have come. Maybe this wasn’t a good-- oh, God, she’s at his  _ parents’ _ house, what if his parents are  _ here _ ? Of course they’re here, why wouldn’t they be, they  _ live _ here, oh, God-- 

 

No. She has to be brave. No matter what happens. 

 

She knocks on the door, her stomach clenching in fear and anticipation, and knocks. 

 

The door opens, and to her relief, it’s Gale. He sees her and his mouth falls open. “Madge!” He says. 

 

She tries to smile at him, but it comes out a bit more wobbly than she’d like. “Hey, Gale,” she says. 

 

“I--” he blinks, his eyes sweeping over her. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.” 

 

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Madge says, looking down. “But I wanted to come and-- and--” she trails off, not sure how to finish. 

 

Gale looks at her. “And?” He asks gently. 

 

She looks up at him suddenly, her eyes bright with tears. She doesn’t want to mess this up more than she already has. “I don’t--” 

 

“Hey,” Gale says, brown knitted with concern, and he’s hesitant and gentle as he reaches out and holds her. She doesn’t even think about resisting, her arms wrapping around his waist as his go around her shoulders and back. “Hey, you don’t… you don’t have to do this, Madge. Okay? We can just forget--”

 

“I don’t want to,” she says, muffled from where her forehead is against his shoulder. “I don’t want to forget.” 

 

Gale goes very still. Madge can feel him swallow. “You don’t?” 

 

“I don’t, but… I’m scared.” 

 

Gale rests his cheek on the top of her head. It helps, in a way, not looking at him as she says these things, but feeling him holding her anyway. She doesn’t feel relaxed, of course, but she feels safe. “Yeah?” He asks her. “If it makes you feel any better… I’m scared, too.” 

 

“Really? About what?” 

 

He’s quiet. “Why are you here, Madge?” He asks instead. 

 

“I didn’t give you a chance,” Madge says. “I didn’t give you one when I first found out it was you, and I didn’t give you one when you showed up, and that was unfair of me, to just decide for the both of us how this was going to go.” 

 

“You still don’t have to do this,” Gale says, but his arms tighten around her. “I don’t want you to regret doing this because you feel-- I don’t know, guilty, or whatever, or think you were being ‘mean’ to me. You didn’t say anything to me that I didn’t deserve.” 

 

“Gale,” Madge says, lifting her head to look him in the eyes, so he understands. “I would regret  _ not  _ giving us a chance. I thought about it, and… I want this. Okay? I want to try.” 

 

Gale looks at her. “Are you sure?” He asks. “Really sure? I mean, I don’t think I would be able to-- if you changed your mind--”

 

Madge shakes her head. She knows why he’s worried, and he has every right to be, but for the first time in months she feels sure. This feels right. “I’m sure,” she says. 

 

“Madge,” he says. He doesn’t quite believe. 

 

“Gale,” she parrots back, raising an eyebrow. 

 

His lips quirk. “Don’t mock me, I’m being serious,” he says. “Are you--”

 

It’s ridiculously easy, to slide her hands up to his shoulders, press up on her toes, and kiss him. Gale Hawthorne, always popular and smooth with the girls-- at least that’s how she remembers him in high school-- actually  _ gasps _ into her mouth, and she’d almost laugh if it weren’t for the fact that she’s feeling it, too, this heady rush of the feel of his lips against her, of his arms tightening around her, of smiling into his kiss, of feeling that he’s smiling, too. 

 

She draws away, settling back down on her heels. They’re smiling at each other, on the same page finally, when Madge can’t help herself-- she yawns, covering her mouth when it draws out. 

 

Gale laughs at her, and she can’t even feel embarrassed, not when he’s looking so happy. “Long night?” 

 

“I Dreamt, but,” she shrugs her shoulders sheepishly. “I didn’t sleep very well.” 

 

“Want to take a nap?” Gale asks. 

 

Madge blinks. “Wait, what?” 

 

Gale smiles. “Take a nape. Here. With me. My family’s gone for the day-- they took the kids to the water park-- so the house is quiet.” 

 

“I don’t think I’m ready…” Madge says, feeling a little alarmed. 

 

“Oh, God,” Gale rushes to assure her, tripping over his words so quickly he can barely get them all out coherently. “No. Just sleep. I, um… no, we can go at whatever pace you want, but I just meant sleep. Really. I didn’t sleep well last night, either, and, um…” he flushes a little. “I just associate you with sleeping, now. And I have a feeling I’ll miss our Dreams.” 

 

Madge feels pleased at this, and the idea sounds perfect, actually. “Well, luckily for you,” she says, wrapping her arms around him again, “you won’t need to sleep to see me.” 

 

He lights up. “Yeah?” 

 

Madge laughs, feeling lighter than she has in ages, as he leads her inside and down the hall. “Of course,” she says. “I mean, I know our schools are a couple hours apart, but we’ll figure something out.” 

 

“I hope so,” he says as she slides off her shoes and they get into bed. It should feel stranger than it does, being in his bed with him there, but she’s Dreamt about this bed before. It’s not the same, though, because it has him. 

 

They lie facing each other, and Madge can’t help but ask, “Do you think we’re moving a little fast?” 

 

Gale smiles. “Maybe,” he says. “At least we’re not those Soulmates who get married the minute they meet.” 

 

Madge winces. “Oh, God, I’ve never understood that,” she says. “What’s the rush? You’ve found each other, you have the rest of your lives to get to know each other. Why do you have to make it legal?” 

 

“I agree,” Gale says. “And maybe we’re moving too fast right now, but… I don’t know. This feels right. When it doesn’t, we’ll slow down.” 

 

It was hard to argue when he put it like that. “Hey, Gale?” She asks. “Are you still scared?” 

 

He looks at her solemnly. “Yeah,” he says honestly. “I’m… I don’t want to be that jerk from when we were kids. I don’t want to hurt you again. I’m scared I’m going to.” 

 

Madge is quiet. Hearing that his fear and hers is the same oddly makes her not afraid anymore. “You won’t,” she says. “I mean-- you will hurt me, in the future. And I’ll hurt you. But we won’t do it on purpose, to be cruel. Not like when we were kids. I know you won’t do that again, because you’re not that person anymore.” 

 

Gale licks his lips. “You were convinced I was that person yesterday,” he says. “What changed?” 

 

“The person in high school would have never driven three hours to come talk to me,” she says. “That person never gave me a chance. Or given me another one, for that matter. We’ve both changed, and it was time I realized it. It seemed you did.” 

 

“Does this mean… do you forgive me?” 

 

“Yeah,” Madge says, cuddling closer to him, and he wraps an arm around her waist. She means it. “I do. The past is in the past, now. I want a fresh start for us.” 

 

“Me, too,” Gale says, kissing her softly again. “Hey, you know what goes good with a fresh start?” 

 

Madge smiles. “What?” 

 

“A long nap,” Gale says. “Everything looks new after a long nap.” 

 

Madge can’t disagree. She reaches out and cups his cheek. “I’ll see you when we wake up,” she promises, a little in awe. 

 

Nothing else needs to be said as they settle into sleep, Dreamless, but together. 

 

The Process can be unfair, sometimes. Dreams can be misleading, and the Cosmos or Nature or God or whomever you believe doesn’t guarantee a happy ending; but sometimes the pull of two people being so right for each other it would be a crime if they weren’t will drive the universe to act in strange and mysterious ways. 

 

The thing about Soulmates is that they’re not always found, but if they are, they shouldn’t be let go, and Madge Undersee has no intention of ever letting hers go again.  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm not going to sit here and say that the Hunger Games is my first fandom (it's not,) and that Gadge is my first OTP (not even close,) but--
> 
> It's the first fandom that I really truly got involved in, the one that welcomed me and the stories I wanted to tell with open arms. I'm not very active in the Gadge/THG fandom anymore, but I'll never forget the warmth of all of these wonderful people who are in it. You guys are the best; thank you for being in my life, and thanks for letting me into yours. 
> 
> Happy Gadge Day, y'all


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